Down goes the apprentice
by chloemcg
Summary: What happens if Luke becomes ill and Professor Layton has to take care of him? Will this fine gentleman be up to the task and will he be able to make his number one apprentice feel better?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton nor Luke Triton since they both belong to Level-5 games and nobody else, in fact I own nobody of the professor layton franchise! **

**Down goes the apprentice.**

* * *

Usually Professor Hershel Layton would find the views of his window quite pretty to look at as the rain pelted down from the heavens and gave the glass windows quite a beating as the ambiance of the rainfall splattered against the windows and left quite a gloomy atmosphere outside as the inhabitant of the famous Professor Hershel Layton's office had stared out the window with an almost longing gleam lingering within those small, black, dot-like eyes.

Professor Layton was an archaeologist, a teacher and a puzzle enthusiast whose knowledge succeeds far beyond those other scientists. Usually the top-hat wearing gentleman had thought of everything moments before the supposed events transpired and the fact that he was ready to get out of any tight jam without much ease was needless to say.

But today something wasn't right.

Even though it was the early hours of a stormy Thursday morning, Professor Layton simply felt something was amiss. He couldn't quite place his finger on it but he felt like something in his very household was wrong.

He had a suspicion that it had something to do with his trusted, sharp, young apprentice Luke Triton. Luke was a young boy who was not only exceedingly clever but he also had the most uncommon ability to communicate with animals and more than often this unique ability was used to assist the situation but not only that, Luke didn't exactly have the most pleasant of back stories.

It all began with a letter from Clark Triton, a friend of Hershel's, but after getting the big shock of the idea of having a partner named Emmy; he had been estranged by the whole thing. It was soon found out that it was Clark's son, Luke, who had sent the letter initially and mostly because a mad man had been feeding the boy lies about his father as he pretended to be the Tritons butler while he was also constructing a diabolical machine. It all took the bravery of a courageous giant Manatetee named Loosha to save them all but everything worked out eventually and Professor Layton gained himself a fine apprentice who he had since took under his wing and begun teaching him to be a Gentleman.

Luke was always loyal to him and he couldn't imagine that something would bring him down nor get the best of him but he would be very surprised what the forces of nature could do once they come crashing down like an almighty thunderstorm...

Professor Layton tried to blink away the sleep collecting in the corners of his eyes as these small dried up specks reminded him that he had once again neglected the fact that he needed to rest despite the blanket that had been draped over his shoulders hours ago by Luke himself just before the boy went to bed.

The professor couldn't pretend he had not noticed the major differences that his young ward was undergoing as these symptoms weighed him down a little. Naturally Luke was one to shrug off any problem so he could be as useful to the professor as possible but clearly something was off with the boy since recent days had passed.

The boy would usually go blank and stare off into space as if he had been lacking sleep, he had been breathing much harder than normal, his tan skin was noticeably greasy and somewhat pale, the blonde-brownish hair under his blue cap looked like a birds nest and he would even tremble and quake as if he was cold as he stood there in a trance. There were some other symptoms that Luke had that troubled the Professor even further as he finally looked away from the window and turned his attention to the small grandfather clock standing proud and fair in a corner.

The professor simply placed a finger upon the rim of his top hat and pushed it down slightly to give his sight a slight edge as he looked at the time the grandfather clock read as it clearly told him the time, 5:10.

Time was not a very hard thing to grasp for an archaeological expert but Professor Layton almost felt icy shards impale his chest at the sight of the time as he knew that he had stayed up all night once again, making him realize that he had missed a good nights sleep. Opening his mouth a little, Layton gave a small sigh of exhaustion as his chin pressed down against his forearm and he subconsciously tugged at the sleeve of his orange shirt while both his arms had been leaning against the wooden mahogany desk he would sit at on a regular basis.

Surely he would get scolded by Luke for the lack of sleep and he was meant to be the adult here!

Professor Layton's eyes widened upon hearing a loud growl that sounded all too familiar to him. It was fair to say that his eating habits were rather sluggish way too often but he couldn't tell Luke that so he gave a small chuckle to himself as he felt his hand subconsciously lay against his churning stomach, growling loudly from constant hunger.

"Hmmm...It would appear that I would need a little something to eat." He said, patting his grumbling stomach.

He went to sit up but quickly discovered that his legs and back had been stiff. His kneecaps were quite sore so he couldn't move them as well as he had hoped but his back was also quite sore from the position he sat in all night. Gently forcing his legs into a stretch, clicking them into proportion, Professor Layton stood up from his stool and gingerly lumbered towards the kitchen of his small, humble residence.

The kitchen was of decent design, fair to say. The walls were cold and marble, the floors beneath were even more so and there were even more counters, surfaces, a fridge and a sink but most of these kitchenery appliances had a puzzle-like mechanism fitted into each one.

He chuckled to himself once more as he told no one in particular, rubbing the palms of his hands together eagerly "Puzzle solving is the way to keep every gentleman's mind sharpened."

Leaning in front of the pearly white fridge door, Professor Layton tackled a small puzzle acting as a padlock. It took about 50 seconds precisely of using his flexible fingers to slide the key parts of the puzzle into the correct place before he knew if his answers were accurate.

A lot of the household items held some sort of built-in puzzles and you'd think that Professor would have used these daily and knew exactly how to answer them but the fact is that either the Professor himself or Luke had the job of changing the puzzles as to challenge their minds to prepare themselves for any trials supposed to come their way if an emergency arrived. They did this before going to bed each night so it was fair but it was Luke who did most of the housework.

Layton was frankly too busy to do his own housework so he needed someone to assist him since he was world famous and needed to do very important things such as try and unlock more mysteries such as investigate ruin fragments or ancient scrolls or such relics. Him being an archaeologist, it was regular for him to do this type of thing.

Anyways, once the puzzle was complete, the Professor was overcome with self satisfaction as he gave a self complimentary grunt with a wry smile plastering against his lips. He was great at solving such puzzles since they were sort of a key part of his life, after all.

"Easy enough for a Gentleman." He proclaimed smugly as he tipped his hat at the fridge.

He opened the fridge door and looked at each and every shelf that was stacked with food items and thought about what to have for breakfast to satisfy his churning stomach. He cringed at the sound of rumbling and deep growling coming from deep within his gut and checked every shelf for something to satisfy his starvation. He could feel the light coming from within the fridge touch his face and catch his tan skin in a slight draft as he examined all the freshly brought food items stacked neatly on each shelf.

His eyes soon fell upon a carton of milk, some eggs and some butter as he knew what to have this morning that would surely be a well balanced breakfast for any gentleman.

The Professor gathered up all items needed such as bread, a kitchen knife, some other things, etc and didn't waste a moment in starting breakfast. Being a very clever man had its many advantages but there were some embarrassing flaws that Professor Layton would not speak of and one of those flaws were that he was too busy to sit down and have lunch. It ashamed him somewhat but the Professor decided not to dwell on it for time time being as he had breakfast to make since he had a feeling that he would need some independence for awhile.

He was right, as always.

It was then that a really strange sound caught Professor Layton's ears and it didn't take long at all for the top hat-wearing gentleman to latch on to the noise as he tried to discern what it was exactly.

The noises sounded wet, rattled and somewhat raspy that huddled with what sounded like a bad case of the sniffles and were even accompanied by a brutal sounding cough. Professor Layton was drawn from his thought process once a bang suddenly caught his attention and before he was even aware of what was happening, he was speeding like a train to the scene.

From the lack of sleep, Professor Layton's leg movements were not very precise as his feet wobbled all over the place as he tried to run as fast as he could to the scene without tripping on his own two feet. He quickly found out that these sounds all came from Luke's room upstairs since the boy's room and his own room were the only other rooms up there other than the attic and that was very rarely used.

Once up the stairs, using the polished oak banister as a guide for his flimsy feet, the Professor ran outside the door and skidded to a halt as he forcefully pushed open the door and found all the answers to those questions that had rattled him so.

Luke's bedroom was quaint to say the least. The walls were painted a bright golden yellow that would be lit up aglow at nighttime, the floors were carpet and cream coloured and there were a few items stored in the room that would be essential for any boy to have stocked within their room. There was a large blue chest stacked with personal belongings in the corner of the room as it was pressed against a small wardrobe that looked sort of antique considering the pristine condition it was in, there was a small diary and lamp sitting upon a bedside table right next to a singular bed that had some bright blue sheets currently resting on them.

But the Professor's keen eyes were resting upon the tan and bright blue heap on the floor out of the right side of the bed.

He knew somewhat what had happened.

"Luke!" The Professor hastened to the fallen boy's side and was very careful to turn him over so he could look at his apprentice's face. He gasped when he saw poor Luke for the first time that morning.

Luke's eyes were open yet his pupils were shrunk to indicate that he had been slipping in and out of consciousness throughout the night, the sunken eyes and dark rings surrounding the boy's eyes confirmed this. From the feeling of Luke's skin, he was not only drenched in sweat but he was also seriously clammy. It was clear that the awful respiratory noises were indeed coming from Professor's young ward as those wet breathing sounds were indeed coming from deep within his lungs.

"Luke, are you alright!?" The Professor tried to get a response again but to no avail as Luke just laid in his mentor's arms "can you hear me?"

As if by an involuntary response, a very low groan escaped deep from Luke's throat as he shivered chillingly in what he knew was the Professor's arms. He wanted so much to express how awful he felt to his mentor but Luke knew he was too weak to even do that as he used as much strength as he could to let out some raspy whimpers and low coughs while he grasped a handful of Professor's sleeve and looked at him with heavy, pleading eyes.

"Oh, my boy..." Professor Layton gently pressed the sick child to his chest as he held him tight yet tried to be as gentle as possible with his young charge. The top hat wearing gent released one arm from Luke's form and pressed the back of his hand on the boy's head, actually feeling how feverishly hot he was.

Luke gave more whimpers and tried to express even further of how sore he was. His rough breathing, however, made this task prove difficult and it made his sweaty digits wrap further around Professor's sleeve that was now in turn becoming sweaty from the mere contact.

Professor Layton felt his heart sink deeply into his intestines as sorrow stabbed him in the back like a cold, sharp knife. He never wished this upon anyone, especially young Luke since he was the last person who deserved to be sick. He simply cradled the sick boy in his arms and began the slow task of getting Luke back into bed.

The Professor figured out that the bang before was probably Luke trying desperately to get the Professor's attention as he clearly was in too much pain to speak, let alone yell out for help, so he must have used up quite a bit of strength to roll out of his bed so he could come crashing to the floor.

He deduced that Luke's pain was coming from the chest.

It was frankly a desperate yet rather stupid move on Luke's part but the Professor couldn't possibly lecture Luke while he was in this seriously ill state. It would be a very harsh thing to do indeed.

Gently, Professor Layton laid Luke back down in bed although the barely audible whines of objection and slight squirming made it clear that the boy didn't want to go back into bed but reluctantly gave in as his mentor hushed him and tried to pacify his worries. Kneeling down at Luke's bedside, the professor lightly petted the top of Luke's head as to wordlessly reassure him as he told him in a small whisper "Luke, try to stay awake for me" he stood up and made a mad dash out of the open door "I'm calling a doctor here."

Luke's eyes noticeably widened in panic upon hearing this. He always hated the doctors since they always poked and prodded him with needles and therefore had a very big fear of them but Professor Layton knew that this was urgent and Luke needed to be examined right away.

His feet thumped heavily down the stairs as he hurried towards a small antique phone that sat upon the coffee table which had nestled safely in the sitting room. After sprinting into the room, Professor Layton quickly dialled the numbers of the one he was calling and bounced impatiently where he stood with his expression and body movements giving away how flustered and worried he was becoming, very odd behaviour for the infamous Professor Layton.

He couldn't help but wonder what was the matter with Luke. Why was he so ill? Was he going to die? Why couldn't he speak or breathe properly? These thoughts flicked through the professor's mind as the wait for someone to pick up was painstakingly slow.

What was wrong with his number one apprentice?

...

* * *

"Hmmm..." A young man wearing a labcoat shined a light into Luke's half opened eye as part of his examination as he studied everything about his patient while Professor Layton stood by the door, leaning against the door frame as he observed the young doctor.

Professor Layton had called the doctor to the house as Luke was clearly unable to make the trip to the hospital and he didn't want to put the sick boy through unneeded discomfort and strife. This young thin man wore some small glasses over his eyes and his hair style was out of proportion with his otherwise calm and professional stance as a local children's doctor.

The young man finally stopped peeking into Luke's eye with the tiny light and put it back in his coat pocket so he could stand up on his own two feet, his gaze never leaving the very sick boy laying in bed. Tugging on the collar of his lab coat, the young doctor picked up his lavishing leather bag packed with his items that he used to transport his medical supplies and made his decent out the door yet he made some eye signals towards the professor.

Professor Layton subtly nodded at the eye gestures being sent his way and followed the doctor out the door into the hallway so they could have a private conversation without Luke having to eavesdrop.

The ingenious archaeologist felt the darkened doorways illuminate both their forms by the slight amount of light coming from the other rooms of the house and reflecting each of their tall figures as they conversed.

Clearing his throat, the young doctor looked into the Professor's eyes as if he were glaring daggers into them and this slightly intimidated the professor. Judging from the very slight shifts of body movements, Professor Layton knew without the shadow of a doubt that this talk was serious.

"How is he?" The Professor asked animously as he tried very hard not to return the icy glare the younger man was giving him.

The doctor reached for the circular frames of his glasses and tweaked them upon his own nose yet his voice was smooth and somewhat icy like his glare "It would appear that Luke has a case of pneumonia."

Those words stung the Professor as they felt like they were a scorpions venomous, stinging tail and it had pierced his chest. He never expected Luke to have been struck down by something as bad as this! He was glad it wasn't anything indefinitely life threatening but he was shocked needless to say. Whatever words Layton had been meaning to say had been swept off by the wind because of hearing that one name:

pneumonia.

Trying to get himself over the shock was a delicate task as he figured out how to respond to the diagnosis. Professor Hershel Layton was a gentleman and gentlemen were hardly ever speechless! He simply gave a nod of the head, the only thing he could do, and frowned somewhat worriedly.

It all made sense. The chest pain, the heavy breathing, the fever! They were all symptoms of the same inflammatory disease that could sometimes prove fatal.

"Luke must stay in bed since he is clearly in no state to be travelling," the doctor warned almost coldly "he seems to be exhausted and also has to rest."

Professor Layton nodded in understanding. Rest was definitely the number one thing needed but knowing how stubborn Luke was, this would be a challenge. That boy cared for him night and day for months and was such a courageous lad, an apprentice that made him always proud. He wanted to repay that golden-hearted boy so much and this was Professor Layton's chance, Luke needed to be taken care of!

It was then that the doctor brought up a question.

"What of the boy's parents?"

Professor Layton felt memories wash up as he knew that Luke's parents were a little too far to come immediately so it was up to him to tell them the hard news that their son was ill with a rough ailment. He knew that Luke's mother would smother him with motherly love that would likely embarrass any boy and Luke's father would try and comfort his son even though the last time Luke saw his father, they were sort of distant.

Luke wrote to his parents often even though they were currently overseas on a cruise though it was clearer than glass that the boy struggled with memories of the time his father often avoided him.

"They are on holiday right now." The Professor's voice was chilled and calm yet he looked as if he didn't want to bring them into this, considering the worry and strife he'd put them through once telling them.

The doctor once again tugged on his collar as he began to walk down the stairs to make his leave "Well, professor, I hope you do tell them and I hope you know what your doing." He peaked over his shoulder to send one last glare to the infamous top hat-wearing gentleman, his voice carrying a hint of hostile animosity "After all, this isn't a piece of old relics or a silly little puzzle..."

With that the man made his merry yet ominous way down the stairs and left a somewhat freaky air in his wake as the professor glared after him. He didn't know why but he really disliked that doctor even though it was rash and indecisive of him or any gentleman to loathe so soon. The professor decided to heed those words, though, as he slowly made his way back towards Luke's bedroom, reaching the open doorway within the blink of an eye despite the fact that he was walking in a slow and quiet pace.

He entered the room and knelt down once again beside Luke's bedside and placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. He couldn't explain it but when he done this action there appeared to have been a small light shining in Luke's eyes and this had ignited a flame of warmth within Hershel's heart, twisting his insides to create a friction of loving warmth inside him.

"Luke, my boy..." The Professor started with a small smile and his eyes were soft and genuine. He smiled wider when the boy turned his head towards his direction yet no words left his mouth despite his mouth gaping open a little "I will take care of you."

Professor Layton just hoped that he knew what he was doing as he looked at his lethargic young charge.

He just knew that a big trial awaited him now.

* * *

**A/N: Awww, poor Luke. He has been struck down with peunomia it seems and now Professor Layton needs to take care of him, how tragic. I can't wait to see the turnout for this story! **

**I have been in hospital for awhile but I have also grown a liking for Professor Layton and Ace Attorney (in fact I have the cross over game) and I have some more stories being written. I have just lost my inspiration to write for awhile so I haven't been writing until now. **

**I'll have to hope you all like this story for now until I write more of it but its a hefty chapter and it's more than I am used to writing one chapter.**

**Thanks guys! Please review, any suggestions are welcome! **

**-Chloemcg**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton nor Luke Triton since they both belong to Level-5 games and nobody else, in fact I own nobody of the professor layton franchise! **

**Down goes the apprentice.**

* * *

Luke just lay there in bed, his sweaty hands clasping on tightly to his equally damp bed sheets. He couldn't fathom why he felt so awful and he knew that he had been feeling sick for the past few days now. He didn't tell the professor since he thought it would just go away in its own time like other ailments but, sadly for him, this was not the case. He hardly got a wink of sleep from the unbelievable pain he felt stabbing his chest, his pulse kept on thumping through his entire body and he also felt like he could hardly breathe most of the time!

The boy tried to sit up as he kept his eye on the open door, hearing the murmurings and low mutters coming from the Professor and the doctor who had examined him moments ago but due to how hard his heart was pumping and how rough his own breathing was, he couldn't make out much. He could only hear the word 'pneumonia'. He didn't know what that word meant or what it was but for some reason it made him shiver but it wasn't from the icy cold chills that were sent through his body even though he felt hot at the same time.

He tried to open his mouth and call the professor as loud as his lungs would allow but he just couldn't muster the energy to do this task. He shuddered as he reluctantly gave up trying to call the professor and try and hear what his mentor was being told although the throbbing pain in his chest made this even more difficult as he could feel and hear his heart thumping away like mad and his own breathing also was blocking up most of the sounds.

Luke sniffled as he sunk deeper into the mattress although he hated it. He wanted to remain in the professor's much cooler arms and nestle in the cool temperature that came off from Professor Layton, his temperature being a lot lower than his. He could hardly stand being unwell since he thought that Gentlemen were not supposed to get sick, he shouldn't be making a scene and seeing the professor worry so much made him feel even worse on this matter! The professor hardly shown concern let alone this type of concern, it must have been him trying to mask his disappointment for how uncouth he was acting!

Luke Triton was a strong boy who never let his professor down and he felt like this was exactly what he was doing!

He lifted his head at the sound of the doctor's voice being icy and chilly as he said his last words "After all, this isn't a piece of old relics or a silly little puzzle."

Luke could hardly believe what he had just heard. Was that children's doctor _dissing _the professor!? He wanted so badly to get up and give that man a piece of his mind but before he could so much as move, the professor had already returned to the scene with an icy contrast being reflected in his eyes. It was like the professor was feeling intimidated by that man himself and also shared his desire to punch the daylights out of that pompous doctor.

The boy silently looked up at the Professor with a pleading look and no matter how much he wanted to avoid it, that kindly gaze that swapped that icy one had totally came and smoothed everything over a little. He couldn't help but feel safe as the professor paced himself as he walked towards him, knelt down a second time at his bedside and felt the professor's hand rest against his shoulder. He turned his head to the top hat-wearing gent and could hardly believe what had been said next.

"Luke, my boy..." The professor's voice sounded so calm and soothing that it sounded almost like a melody to his ears but he knew it wasn't "I will take care of you."

Luke had to blink twice to see if he had heard right and his desperately hot temperature wasn't making him hallucinate. What did the professor just say, he was going to look after him!? The professor couldn't do such a thing since he had so much to do! He couldn't possibly put all that stuff on hold!

Thankfully, the professor seemed to have known exactly what Luke was thinking before he could even make a movement of objection. His seemingly normally blank face smiled softly as he tipped his hat as Professor Layton assured his apprentice "Not to worry, my boy, I have called Rosa to take care of everything while I look after you."

Luke almost smiled upon hearing the name of the professor's kind-hearted house maid. Even though he had done the housework normally, Rosa would sometimes come and lend a hand when needed as everyone knew that even a young boy couldn't do everything in the house. He sighed forlornly as his the crestfallen look in his eyes betrayed the fact that he was very apologetic yet he wasn't able to express it.

He put a hand over his mouth as a sudden fit of heavy, mucous laden coughs attacked and forced him into a sitting up position as he hacked and coughed to try and prevent the sudden outburst of coughs. His chest caved in as he felt horrid while in that sitting up position but he did feel a little comfort as he felt the professor's hand on his back. He could determine that it was professor Layton's hand because of how much cooler it was comparing to him and because he had felt its touch many times before. It was a mistake not easily made.

The professor gingerly patted the boy's back as Luke broke into a fit of nasty coughs that even made him grimace from how heavy and raspy they sounded. He supported him as the coughs finally began to show signs of subsiding and when they did, Luke fell back into a heap on the bed. The professor's heart sunk upon realizing how dreadful Luke felt as he cringed, noticeable drips of sweat tricking down from his forehead and brows as he tightly squeezed his eyes shut.

"My poor boy..." The professor couldn't help but croon as he wiped away the beads of sweat pouring from his apprentice's head.

Hershel Layton couldn't deny it but he did feel an ounce of sympathy towards his apprentice as he stroked him as gently as he could. Why did it have to be Luke? The professor would have instantly taken his place, even if he wouldn't admit it to others. He could handle being in bed for awhile but Luke couldn't! He had duties after all!

Luke shuddered as a sudden chill took hold of him like a tight grip and he had bitten his lower lip to try and hide it but the professor had noticed either way. He looked into the eyes of his mentor once more as he felt the professor's arms wrap around him to envelope him in a tight hold as he was deftly moved from the bed and found himself curled up on the professor's lap with his soaking wet blanket wrapped around him. The professor had now sat on the floor with Luke sat on his lap yet he was also secured so he wouldn't find himself on the floor a second time.

Professor Layton stared down softly at Luke as he held him close to his chest so he could rest his head against that sturdy yet slender chest belonging to his mentor. Being a father already proved that the professor did indeed have a knack for handling children whatever the condition or circumstances, be it they be spoilt or even hot tempered then the professor would touch their hearts like a true gentleman would. Luke felt proud to be the apprentice of such a noble and kind-hearted man.

As apprentice and mentor sat cozily on the floor, the atmosphere was quiet and somewhat comforting as the slight breeze blowing in from the window noted that it had been raining quite heavily outside even though the sky was still dark and gloomy. Professor Layton played with Luke's hair as softly as he could while he continued to hold him as if he was made of 100 percent glass that could easily shatter.

While Luke didn't really mind being treated this delicately, it still worried him a bit that his busy mentor was putting his work on hold just to take care of him. He wanted to object and tell the professor to go back to work or get some sleep but he clearly couldn't do that since he was in no condition to do this.

"Luke" The professor's voice was a very soft whisper now as he held him "why don't you try getting some more sleep, hmm?" his hold on his apprentice tightened ever so slightly "I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Luke could barely register what his mentor was saying as he was once again slipping from his half conscious state. Throughout the night he had found himself blurring between reality and a cold dark world where he had no sense of touch or sight and half the time he even asked himself if he was in the morgue. It soon grew annoying but Luke didn't dare dwell upon it as he was already out like a light moments after Layton had made his suggestion.

Luke sighed a little as he fell limp in the professor's arms, concerning the archaeologist for a moment, but he was still alive. His gentle snores and raspy breathing was definitely something to keep a sharp eye on as the professor decided to put Luke back into bed while he decided to look into home-made remedies considering they may as well had effective ones in the old days of yore. Besides it would be something to do until Luke regains consciousness again.

He very, very slowly climbed to his feet so he couldn't wake Luke and took great care into putting him back to bed as he laid the young boy back into bed and wrapped him snugly in his quilted silk blankets as if it were but a cape belonging to a master magician of sorts. He also made sure to nestle Luke's teddy bear beside him to at least give some subconscious reassurance if he were to awake while he wasn't there.

However, he was very worried about one thing: He hadn't had an attack on his life in ages. Normally he would have some sort of enemy to get revenge on him for something incredibly stupid or even insignificant but he hadn't had something like that for awhile. What if they were to attack his very office? What if they were looming outside, waiting for the right moment to strike much like a lion would with their potential prey?

He pressed a finger to his chin and scratched it as he glared out the window. He knew he had to leave to research a remedy but felt some cautionary chills down his spine, making his eyes glare inadvertently as he watched the huge drops of rain pelt against the window. Slowly he decided to dismiss it as he walked out the door, his harsh glare never leaving the gloomy view outside until he was walking downstairs.

But he should have looked harder as a certain enemy popped up from the window and glaring right down at Luke's sleeping silhouette before grinning a snide smirk. What was going on?

* * *

**A/N: Oooh dear! Someone is stalking the professor and is probably going to do something awful. I know that I am probably making the professor a bit out of character here but I can see some sort of father-son, mentor-apprentice relationship going on for some reason. I just see that connection even though professor Layton seems reluctant to allow these feelings to take hold. Thats just me, though. **

**Anyways, I can't wait to make more chapters and I hope I get some reviews. Thanks!**

**-Chloemcg**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton nor Luke Triton since they both belong to Level-5 games and nobody else, in fact I own nobody of the professor layton franchise! **

**Down goes the apprentice.**

* * *

Professor Layton's eyes carefully flicked through the bookshelves for any book involving homemade remedies.

He had been searching ever since Luke had fallen asleep half an hour ago. The professor had just finished making some nice chamomile tea for his ailing apprentice and was doing something to wait for the drink to cool down a bit but that doctor continued to bite at his mind as he peeked through every book on the shelves but he eventually discovered a book that caught his immediate interest. The book looked fairly old but it was a book on homemade remedies;

the book he had searched for.

He gently lifted the heavy book out from its place sandwiched between a book on astrophysics and another on fossil history.

Honestly it did feel a little more heavy to carry in both hands and made them sink a little towards the ground and the professor staggered towards the sofa so he could put the book down on one of the cushions and he wouldn't have to carry it anymore. He gingerly seated himself down and stared at the book that sat towards his right side. The book looked rather worn away as it laid there on the sofa.

Reaching towards the worn away book, he flipped the book open and begun to read it eagerly. He needed to see if there was any type of medicine that could at the very least bring down a fever since he doubted that there wouldn't be anything potent enough to make ones breathing lighter...Or act as an immediate cure for pneumonia.

He flipped through the pages containing different remedies for different ailments but eventually found one that seemed to pique his interest.

Professor Layton smiled a little when he found the required remedy and he looked at the ingredients he would need for it. It would appear some herb hunting would be in order!

He jumped eagerly to his feet and darted towards the kitchen so he could begin rummaging through the cupboards and many other compartments. He needed to find some herbs that would create something to bring down Luke's unwavering fever.

That poor boy was obviously very unwell with pneumonia and needed something to soothe his horrible ailments.

Professor Layton didn't exactly know what kind of herbs he needed but he was sort of anxious to get back up to Luke so he just grabbed several bags from the kitchen and set them all down on the sofa so he could examine the instructions the book provided to make this special brew. His eyes scanned the writing very carefully and he checked the labels of each bag of herbs he had scooped up back in the kitchen.

He had grabbed parsley, Time, and maybe even a little bit of rose merry. He even grabbed a bit of lemon verbena which it turned out was the perfect thing and a favourite of reducing fevers such as the one that Luke had currently.

He once again rushed into the kitchen to go and fetch some tea that he had left to cool down a little in his tea set that sat on the counter right beside the kitchen sink. He also recalled that he would have to dribble some honey in there to make the taste more tolerable even if he had no idea how to get Luke to drink this.

Professor Layton furrowed his brows in determination as he had finally prepared the medicinal brew. He didn't hesitate on lifting the trey in his arms with the tea cup balancing on top of it, making a light "jingly" sound as the trey wobbled in the gentleman's arms. He steadily jogged up the stairs and went to go into Luke's bedroom once again.

He used his leg as an extra limb, his main ones busy, and pushed the door open with his foot so he could enter.

He found his breath hitching in his throat sorrowfully at what he saw.

Luke seemed to have been once again in the realm of half consciousness and semi unconsciousness as his dead, usually bright and playful eyes glared down at the floor absent mindedly. The dark circles beneath his eyes proved that Luke only got a little sleep following his short trip down the stairs before regaining a tiny bit of sense.

Listless didn't even begin to describe how Luke was probably feeling, actually he may have vaguely been aware that the professor had just entered the room.

"Luke..." The professor called out in a hushed whisper as to not frighten him.

Luke drearily responded by lifting his head up a little. His eyes met the professor and his face was very long and dragged from the fact that he was horribly sleep deprived.

Without saying another word but blinking back tears of sympathy, the professor travelled towards the bedside once more and he pulled up a chair so he could sit himself down.

Luke just laid there in a lethargic way. His body was completely limp and his eyes were letting off delayed blinking every 10 seconds. Slowly and with a raspy sigh, Luke slowly and deftly moved his hand towards the professor's hand until it hovered slightly over it, casting a shadow over the latter's tan hand.

Professor Layton sighed himself. He couldn't pretend that seeing Luke in such a foul state was completely heart breaking but he decided to tough up, knowing that Luke needed to be fuelled by a positive energy even if he felt like nothing would ever get good again.

Luke gave a meek series of whimpers to express himself but the professor simply shushed him while gently rubbing the boy's fevering head, being careful of the tray on his lap as he bent over slightly to reach Luke's head.

"Shhh, don't worry Luke. You will be alright." The professor comforted the ill youngling in a soft voice, clearly meaning to sound as kind as possible.

He retracted himself back on to the chair so he could sit up straight again. Professor Layton picked up a small tea spoon off the tray beside the delicate tea cup and began to stir the honey inside it in a gentle rhythm, watching some warming steam erupt from the round rim of the cup.

This should help Luke hopefully.

It took a full minute of carefully stirring but he finished. The professor once again leaned forwards and held the china tea cup on Luke's chest carefully and watched as the boy's chest raised up heavily before going down and flatter than a pancake, it was enough to show the outline of his rib cage actually.

Slowly and softly, the professor placed the rim of the cup to his apprentice's lips and slowly made the drink go down the hatch even though Luke's slight squirms of protest proved that he wasn't all that keen on this idea yet it was a way to get Luke better and hydrated. The boy exhaled through his nose in slight contentment.

Professor Layton smirked when an idea came to mind "Say, my boy, I do believe I have just the thing to cheer you up."

He placed the now empty cup and trey on the bedside table and stood up to walk out the door. The professor walked down the darkened halls as the rain splattering the windows provided a nice, soothing background noise that would also serve as a lullaby for others who were exhausted and dog tired beyond comprehension. He was one of those people who the rain became a sweet lullaby to.

He deftly walked through the creepy hallways, examining the doors to his right while the banister was on his left to prevent both himself and Luke from falling down below.

Professor Layton sighed as he tipped his top hat randomly to adjust it over the ridges of his eyes and he soon found the room he sought out. He entered the room that was stacked with books and scattered toys on the wooden flooring beneath, he could hardly believe it had been so long ago since he had teamed up with the little boy.

That wasn't the first time he had met Luke, though. He was also there on the day he was born and he babysat him a few times in his younger years of adulthood. When he was in his mid twenties, in fact.

As a matter of fact, those memories were what brought him to this very room.

He entered the room and deftly maneuvered passed the toys on the floor and stood before a shelve that had been marked "Shelf 20-29" which most likely hinted that these were books he had been keeping since he was at those ages and hadn't read them since.

He found a book in particular that made him grin in satisfaction. A book that was labelled "Memories of Luke Triton" and that was what he was planning on reading to Luke to make the time go by faster and to make sure he would be distracted from the dreadful fever he was suffering from. Luke may not pay attention to it at times in his groggy state but it was worth a try.

The top hat-wearing gentleman yanked the book out from its sandwiched position and held it underneath his arm, making sure it was fastened beneath his underarm so it would drop heavily to the flooring beneath. He began to retrace his steps back out the door and to get back to Luke's room, a look of slight worry etched on his face.

He was truly looking forwards to reminiscing on the good times with Luke.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it took a bit long to update, I was just a bit distracted. I'm happy with the reviews it is getting though even though I wasn't sure this was going to do very well. Thanks guys! **

**I did make a fanfic about Professor Layton's first meeting with little Luke, which I think you'd like. **

**I'm very glad I have the characters' personalities right too.**

**Hope you enjoy it.**

**-Chloemcg**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton nor Luke Triton since they both belong to Level-5 games and nobody else, in fact I own nobody of the professor layton franchise! **

**Down goes the apprentice.**

* * *

Professor Layton sat at Luke's side, holding a box just on a spot on the bed between Luke and himself as the former used a gentle voice in an attempt to help his young charge smile, if even a tiny bit.

The gentleman wearing the brown top hat held the book open and slowly pointed to each picture depicting both himself and Luke when they were in their early days. Luke would still be motionless and barely blinked to keep his eyeballs healthily moist but he seemed to grasp slowly what was being said.

"...And here, my boy, you had managed to get up a tree. I had spent hours trying to ferret you out but only when I started looking in the garden did I find you."

The professor chuckled lightly at the memory as he pointed to a picture of a younger professor, clad in a red vest and white shirt underneath, looking startled when a one year old Luke seemed to have dropped down on the professor's shoulder with some twigs and leaves stuck in the boy's hair.

Luke seemed to have recalled such a moment even though for others it was mostly impossible. He did have a photographic memory that could help him recall a few details mentioned by his mentor maybe a few minutes or so prior. It also helped with his extraordinary ability to speak to animals.

Moving on, the professor moved on to another picture. This one captured a moment when the professor was smiling at the camera yet a finger was in front of his lips in a shushing motion as he stood over Luke who seemed to have been a few months old at the time and was fast asleep in the picture.

"This was when you were asleep, Luke, I thought that moments like those were very endearing for me whence I recalled how small you were as an infant." The professor softly reached forwards so he could touch Luke's face and traced a gentle finger along his sweaty forehead.

Luke shifted a tiny bit at the tickling brushing of the professor's fingertip but it was clear he was trying to smile for him since every so often Luke would just twist one corner of his lip upward but it fell back down when he was too exhausted to lift the other side. He couldn't do anything, he felt so utterly useless right now.

The boy wheezed weakly, a weak hand pressed roughly against his chest and he began to hack up some very fruity coughs. His small eyes screwed shut as he gritted his teeth in pain and he bolted upright, coughing as loudly as his inflamed lungs would allow.

Once again Professor Layton stroked the boy's sweaty back attentively, concern on his lips for the umpteenth time today, and he just murmured some words of encouragement for his sickly young apprentice. He would have tipped his top hat in sympathy for the young boy but realised that doing this would probably make Luke feel bad.

"Easy..." The professor sighed sadly, continuing to run his hand up and down along Luke's back to try and soothe both his emotions and his nasty coughs. He could hear those rattles mingling with Luke's rather desperate attempts to breathe on his own but it seemed that it would take awhile for that medicine to kick in. Luke sat up so quick that his cap must have been knocked off of his head, landing on his clenched knees.

The professor gently pushed Luke back down before he picked up the fallen cap and placed it gently back atop of Luke's head so it would cover up most of the boy's unkept blonde hair. All Luke could do was just look and stare randomly off into space with little to no response to anything of what he was being told at all as his head thumped back against his lumpy pillow.

The professor of archeology tucked the blankets lightly around Luke who simply gave a soft, low whine of plea.

"Wh-What is it, my boy?" The professor asked, surprised.

This was the most vocal the boy had been all day. He also seemed a tiny bit more active than earlier as if a sudden clutch of strength had filled him unexpectedly. Luke tried to communicate but he simply gave an upset sigh as he cast his eyes down towards his rising and falling chest, watching his own breathing as he tried to say something. Yet he was too tired to form the words.

He had defeated himself.

The professor seemed to have understood exactly what his loyal young apprentice was trying to say by the greatly saddened look in his innocent eyes and the way he seemed to have been displaying his emotions. He gave a small smile at Luke's slight pouting face and spoke gently, stroking Luke's sweaty forehead with his thumb.

"Luke, my boy," The professor began "I understand what you are trying to tell me." His eyes softened as he ceased stroking the boy's head and instead went to capture his small hand in his own larger one in an effort to quell his worries "you do not need to feel sorry one bit. Nobody can control when they are ill or not so it is not your fault."

Luke gave a tired few gasps as he mouthed a meek "thank you" without a sound coming from his lips. He gave a very tired eye gesture to the book the professor had brought as if to silently request that he continue reading to him until he once again faded into an unconscious obscurity, one hand grabbing the soft sheets blanket of his bed and the other in the professor's hand.

Professor Layton didn't dare hesitate in doing as the boy silently requested and continued reading to him about all the times they spent together.

The brown and orange clad archeologist just resumed skimming through many different memories the two shared that had been forever stamped into this photo album and he just continued to narrate in a warm, quiet voice that mingled with the pouring rain that battered the windows outside yet the professor's voice reigned over whatever other noise acted as a slight bit of ambience.

He just continued to be seated on a chair at Luke's bedside, recalling many memoirs as he did as if they happened only yesterday.

However, both Luke and the professor were very much unaware that there would be danger arising soon. Neither of them suspected that a certain enemy would take his revenge just a little too far...

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this was a short chapter. I was just keen to update this and make you all happy. We see more Luke and Layton fluff at least here and who will be the one to commit this heinous deed? **

**Btw, I never had pneumonia before. I am just going off of what I researched and what I saw in "The Secret of N.I.M.H" when I saw that one, adorable scene with Mrs Brisby. Its a good film so if you haven't seen it yet then I highly recommend it because its a master piece of animation! **

**Anyways let's see where this goes, shall we? **

**Don't forget to review.**

**-Chloemcg**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton nor Rosa or Luke Triton since they both belong to Level-5 games and nobody else, in fact I own nobody of the professor layton franchise! **

**Down goes the apprentice.**

* * *

Luke now slept soundly. His breathing was still hitched and rattled so he couldn't really say that his sleep was completely peaceful. All he could do was try and get as much sleep as possible as to make himself better much quicker and this would make the professor worry less hopefully.

The Professor's apprentice continued to drift in and out of consciousness but he couldn't help but be very aware of the pain that would swipe at his rib cage and leave a painful bristle against those slight line of bones caging his heart. His small, sweaty hands gripped on tightly to the sheets of his blanket as he gave soft gasps in his sleep, writhing his head from side to side in a slight panic.

Even though his mouth was open and his breathing was quickened, Luke could barely control that feeling that someone was there. Someone who wasn't the professor...

Luke opened his eyes at the sound of his window unwinding, allowing a cold breeze to capture his whole room in a drift. He shivered at the cold as it touched his sweaty skin and he lethargically turned his head to try and get a look at his intruder. He could barely make out a thing in his vision that was dotted with big, black blotches. All he could do was try and call out to the professor in fear but he could barely muster a single sound.

He felt so pathetic and useless.

What good was he if he could not even call out for help?

"Why what do we have here...?" A gentle, rough voice asked mockingly.

Luke's brows lowered and he sent the intruder a muted scowl of vehement, very meekly gritting his teeth in an effort to make himself look a little bit intimidating so the man would leave him be but he knew deep down that this would prove useless since he would never intimidate anyone no matter how hard he tried when in danger.

He knew exactly who this was!

Don Paolo grinned snidely, twiddling with one of the tips of his pointy hairstyle. He smiled so evilly that his broad moustache bristled with the same vehement that Luke had for him. The strange scientist wearing the purple coat with the red collar got down on one knee so he could meet the sick boy on eye level, grinning all the while. He seemed a little too happy to see the young apprentice of Professor Layton so weak and helpless right now as he could only play with the young whelp's cap in an effortless attempt to taunt him even further.

"Why hello there." Don Paolo grasped the rim of Luke's blue cap in two fingers before yoinking it from the latter's head "You don't look very well at all, little one."

If Luke was strong enough he would have smacked the smug look off of Don Paolo's face. He would have loved to try and get his hat back but, sadly for him, it seemed that the man was all too aware that Luke was too weak to try. The pointy-haired man clutched the cap tightly, making the headwear crumble like paper inside his crushing grip and he seemed very happy to be doing it, anyway.

"Too weak to get back your hat, are you?" He chuckled sinisterly "well then you shall be my most valued weapon against that sad excuse of a professor."

Luke contained a strangled gasp. He was almost scared to find out what this guy was planning but swallowed it with a heavy amount of strength. As a matter of fact, he was now so worried that more sweat was beginning to dribble down his face, soaking the bed around him in a puddle of body moisture.

Why did this have to happen? He couldn't even move, much else hide how worry he was for his situation...

Once again he tried the desperate act of rolling off his bed but he was quickly snagged by the arm, someone roughly grabbing on to the sleeve of his pyjamas and hurting the poor pneumonia-stricken boy's wrist in the process. Luke gave a wide-eyed glare towards the man as he was snatched up into the arms of the man who clearly had the intent of kidnapping him.

Luke struggled for what he was worth, whimpering and whining in protest as he wriggled a bit and tried to push out of the man's grip with all his feeble might. But it was all in vain as he could not muster such strength to escape the mad scientist's tight hold but he tried again to yell out for help even though his throat was dry and nothing would come out.

As Don Paolo proceeded back towards the window, Luke got a good look at the weather outside.

It was still raining heavily out there, explaining why Don's body heat was pretty much non existent and freezing with the cold wetness of the outdoor rain. The closer they got to the open window, the harder Luke wriggled in desperation. He was worried that going out there would harm his fragile state of health even further than necessary as he could feel himself be caught in a freezingly ice cold draft.

He may have been hot to the touch but now he could feel himself slip out of that momentary consciousness once more. Before he completely slipped away from the reach of reality, he felt himself be overcome with an abundance of sweat even though now he was ice cold at the moment. The last sensation he felt was the wind embracing him in a frigid glacial gust of breeze and the heavy drops of rain numb his body as they pelted him hard.

He also felt his mind scream for one person, the one person who he adored to serve and spend every second of every day with. The one person who gave him a compassion equal to that of his parents whom were mostly absent:

Professor Layton.

* * *

Professor Layton hummed a slight tune as he assisted Rosa, his lady's maid, in making some light tomato soup in the kitchen. It had been awhile since Luke had fallen back to sleep after reminiscing on past events with the boy and he had since returned back down the stairs and he had currently found himself stirring a wooden spoon into a mixing bowl so he could make sure the warm, red brew inside was soft enough and not too soupy and watery.

He kept his ears open even though he was very much occupied with the making of Luke's soup and he could hear Rosa cleaning and dusting behind him as she busied herself with carrying things, cleaning dishes stuffed in the sink...etcetera, etcetera.

"Professor," Rosa began cheerfully "You have been busy with this instead of focusing on your work." She wandered passed him "Why don't you do some things while I look after the poor little thing?"

The professor shook his head. He was grateful to have such a kind and compassionate house maid to look out for both Luke and himself but sometimes he felt like he was being somewhat babied by her so he thought that he should take some charge. Plus he didn't want to make the poor lady work herself achy.

He didn't bother to look away from the soup he was focusing on.

"I am sorry, Rosa, but I vowed to look after Luke." He gave a small smile of confidence as he resumed to stir in a clockwise circle "There have been many occasions whence he looked after me so I decided to assist him whenever I can."

Rosa smiled, a look of pride etching on her kindly face. Needless to say, she was very proud of her gentleman of a client. He was always so kind and polite and he always sought out the truth even though his obsessive nature could get in the way of how to solves mysteries and he is very often forgetful and even forgets to eat. Ever since Luke came about, Rosa had been very obliged to assist the both of them in anyway she could. Luke even helped remind him to eat and even helped with tasks around the house.

She sighed and shook her head with that same smile stilled on her lips. She couldn't convince the professor to side with the contrary of his decision so decided to leave the man to his devices even though she would still look over his shoulder and keep an eye on him.

The house maiden said a simple "I'll check back on you in a minute" and she wandered upstairs with the assumed intent to check on Luke.

Professor Layton was lost in the soothing hot broth he was mixing, now having only his thoughts to keep him company. He could only think about Luke and what he was going to tell the boy's parents, he needed to tell them!

Of course the puzzle enthusiast couldn't possibly, in a sane state of mind, tell Brenda and Clark Triton that their son has been brought down by a very frightening ailment that was quite deadly if not treated correctly or taken outside. The chill in the air, especially in this dreadful rainstorm, could prove catastrophically fatal for Luke if he gone too cold with the utmost severe temperature he has and he could go into shock. It was just some paranoid circumstances that the Professor thought up inside his brilliant head that had the same mechanism as a puzzle.

He felt very bad for his poor young charge that he admittedly thought of as a son in some sort of teacher-student sort of way.

Ever since meeting that boy for the second time, Professor Layton felt an instant bond tie itself like a knot. Both their destinies intertwined and created a fine duo who could make it through thick and thin, braving the storm like a pirate captain and his young buccaneer shipmate. Or even like a pirate captain and his trusty young parrot underling. It made the professor smirk at the thought of those awaiting adventures that they still had to have, many more teachings for Luke and how to be a refined gentleman.

However it was then that a shrill scream pierced the air and made the professor jerk a little, startled.

It was but a simple task to deduce that it was Rosa who screamed but the question that made the gears in his mind turn hurriedly to try and register what was going on was: Why?

Professor Layton abruptly halted his clockwise stirring of the tomato soup and whirled on his feet to glance back up at the stairs so he could meet the panicky eyes of Rosa who had no traces of that pride she had before, instead a huge amount of worry replaced it. She latched on to the safety banister while looking down at the top hat-wearing gent with what seemed to be a hand to her racing heart.

"LUKE IS GONE, PROFESSOR!" She cried out in worry, her voice echoing inside the professor's ears as she leant forwards.

The professor felt everything freeze, a sudden paralysis to every nerve in his body. His heart gave out steady, low beats as those flutters thumped through his whole body in a painstakingly slow rhythm like a single conga drum being pounded by a steady series of a repetitive cacophony. He shook himself out of this momentary trance and made a mad dash up the stairs, his mind a mess of queries, and he completely abandoned the soup he was making for the boy who apparently has gone missing.

It was like the slowest rush up the stairs ever but he threw open the door and was met with a sight that made his blood run ice cold. Luke was no longer in bed...

Overcome with a feeling of dread, the professor desperately rushed to Luke's empty bed to inspect it. He continuously blinked as if when he opened his eyes for one of those split seconds would come up with the sight of his apprentice sleeping with that heavy breathing he had come to recognise from hearing it many a time before.

No suck luck, sadly.

He noticed that it was all creased and still damp, most likely indicating that Luke had just disappeared not too long ago and this shown that there was some signs of what seemed to be a weak struggle.

It was then that something else caught professor Layton's attention. There was quite a cold draft in air and the distinct moisture mixing in the circulating current seemed to be originating from the open window...

The professor instantly rushed to it and looked out but only to find that a brick wall was obstructing most of his view and the draught outside was still pouring from the heavy downpour that plagued the outdoors since the early hours of this morning. He found something else that yet again made all feeling and motion break off from the world around him as he saw something that was stuck to the open window that appeared to have been forced open.

It was a note.

The professor didn't dare read most of the contents, despite his usual drive to read any and every piece of parchment he just wanted to see where his apprentice had gone. He only read the bits that said "revenge" and "how I wanted this for years" before he finally read the name that pointed to Luke's kidnapper:

"-Don Paolo"...

Professor Layton fought off giving a vicious growl since he knew that Gentlemen never behaved like such an animal but this foolish kidnapping of his young apprentice could put him in mortal danger!

The professor tore the paper off the window and tossed it to the floor of Luke's bedroom in a semi controlled rage that struck his body like an earthquake. He had to save his young ward whatever it took. He couldn't allow that foolish man to inadvertently kill that innocent boy if he could help it. A grey cloud of emotions planted a veil over his better judgement and his calm temperament and he stormed out of the bedroom, a rock solid expression of determination glued on his face.

He didn't even hesitate in rushing down the stairs, his footsteps leaving a lingering echo as the soles of his feet thunder against each step downwards. When he reached the front door, he snatched the keys to the auto mobile, affectionately named "the Layton mobile", off a coat rack and slammed the door behind him in a way that echoed throughout the whole building in an aftershock.

Rosa, confused and frightened for Luke, just stared at the door Professor Layton dashed out of with a look of grave concern on her face. She couldn't even begin to imagine what the poor professor was going through.

Even though he wouldn't admit this; he must have been worried sick.

She whispered one thing, even knowing that the professor or anyone else would hear her:

"Be careful, professor..."

* * *

**A/N: Oh dear. Poor Luke has been captured by Don Paolo, it seems. Can the professor rescue his ailing apprentice from the clutches of that mad scientist? Can the professor save Luke before it's too late?**

**Find out in the next chapter! **

**-Chloemcg**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton nor Rosa or Luke Triton since they both belong to Level-5 games and nobody else, in fact I own nobody of the professor layton franchise! **

**Down goes the apprentice.**

* * *

Professor Layton sped around a corner, tires screeching loud in his ears as he tossed the wheel's direction to one side in order to perform a U-turn. He glared out determinedly at the road in his wake as the rain violently battered the window, being wiped away by the window shield wipers before being pelted by the heavy rain again.

He couldn't hide that he was horrified of what had become of Luke now he had been so stupidly moved from his bed -somewhere he should have been staying in- and he was also very cross since it was once of his enemies whom had done this heinous act. He took in a deep breath before withdrawing it, exhaling a long sigh that had been buried deep within the boundaries of his throat.

The Layton mobile sped down the smooth road ahead with such speed that it was close to actually breaking the speed limit but the professor didn't much care for the law except for the fact that it would stall his attempt to rescue poor Luke who was probably more sick than ever now.

His heart shattered when he thought of that poor boy, that brave young man who he trusted so much and treated as his apprentice and student. He even sometimes treated Luke like he was his own son but the professor wouldn't go as far as to replace Clark in Luke's heart even if the man had busied himself with tasks that took both himself and his wife, Brenda, across the sea.

Poor Luke was probably now fighting for his life...

The Professor was snapped out of his state of deep thought whence he saw a strange contraption hovering in the air above him, just beside the infamous giant clock tower known as Big Ben. The professor narrowed his eyes angrily but kept a stone face since he couldn't lose his self control, not now. He was going to rescue Luke and make it snappy since time was of the essence here without question or reluctance.

Pressing a button, the professor watched as the Layton mobile spouted two long, flat expanations at each side that crossed like a dragonfly's wings and as it changed shape slightly. The Layton mobile had been fitted for flight quite recently so, encase of emergancy, he could actually go from driving along the highway to flying along the skyline.

The professor was sort of ignorant of this sudden upgrade since he was too worried about Luke. The thundercloud-filled skies were rumbling with the occasional thunder storm and there was the occasional streak of lightning flashing across the sky in a sudden array of blinding light that could momentarily blind even the sturdiest of pilots. He watched as his vehicle took to the air and he steered the car towards that machine which no doubt held Luke and the reveal of his fate too.

It was then that the professor heard a very familiar voice screech in his ears, booming through a loud megaphone.

"Layton!" It exclaimed in a somewhat surprised tone but then it turned slyly smug "...I knew you would come for the little brat."

The professor fought the urge to snarl since he knew that would be most ungentlemanly of him but he did decide to get right to the point as he leaned forwards and swiftly pressed a button with his fingertip and held it as his own voice projected into the air in a loud microphone-like way.

"Enough of this foolishness, Don Paolo, what is it you want in exchange?" His voice asked rashly. He was just desperate to get his apprentice back safe and sound but a hidden part of him just knew that this would probably not be the case since Luke was in a bad enough state even in his custody.

The man revealed himself as he stepped out on to the wing of his machine but he held a small-ish blue bundle in his arms. The professor didn't need a puzzle to realise who that figure in blue was...

"Luke, my boy...?" The professor was deathly worried since even from where he was in the far distance he was, the fact that Luke was too still for his liking was sticking out like a sore thumb and there was also the thing to mental note that Luke was very faintly shivering in the mad scientist's arms. Even though professor Layton's face had paled, it was nothing in comparison to poor Luke as his poor apprentice was out cold.

Luke seemed to hear the professor's voice as he very weakly opened his eyes, just barely enough so he could see, and he gave the faintest of smiles that gave the professor the impression that he was relieved beyond words. Luke mouthed the professor's name before he let out a long sigh and passed out again, rain pouring down his face and dampening every inch of his body.

The professor gave a very worried look. Luke was in even worse shape than ever before, did Don Paolo realise that he was _killing _him!?

Desperately, the professor began to try and talk some sense into the man standing on the wing of his machine. "D-Don, you need to give Luke back to me!" He said with his refined voice in a small shout yet there was a panicky desperation hidden behind his words "He could _die _if he stays out there much longer!"

However the scientist rolled his eyes. It was like he really had no idea that Luke was seriously ill! He sent a glare to the airborne car and he frowned, shuddering a bit from the frigid cold gusts of wind blowing along with the heavy raindrops falling from the sky.

Don Paolo mumbled yet it was still audible "What is the big deal he is just feigning a cold, isn't he?"

The professor was dumbstruck. Seriously, did he hear that right? Luke was FAKING a cold!? It took all the bones in his body for him not to slap his own head at the idea of Luke looking this awful and still faking this and scream into the microphone the many idiotic contradictions in that theory. You could really make Swiss cheese contradiction since there was so many holes in there.

The puzzle-loving gentleman exclaimed "No, he really is sick! He has pneumonia!"

Don Paolo furrowed a brow upon hearing the name of that. He had heard of such an illness before "But thats as common as the lambs that are born in the springtime. It isn't so bad!"

The professor dipped his top hat and held back a scream of frustration. Instead of doing that, his expression shielded by his top hat, he pinched the bridge of his nose to suppress the chances of an incoming headache (with his free hand on the wheel) and when he took his fingers off his nose, he pressed the button again "...Yes, I concur that pneumonia is common but you can also die from it. The boy is in danger!"

He watched as Don Paolo gave a look of disbelief. He looked down at a frail-looking companion of the professor whom shivered a bit in his arms. The boy's breathing was growing weaker and more quiet as he looked up pleadingly at the scientist, an open-mouthed frown taking hold of his lips as his near lifeless eyes opened more a few long moments until he fell back unconscious.

These lapses of consciousness, were they really from the boy's condition?

The man with the strange hair and massive moustache said nothing as he looked down at the professor's apprentice whom he had kidnapped. Was this boy really endanger of perishing? Was he really slowly killing this youngster in his arms?

He shook his head in denial. This boy was fine and he was going to prove it!

Don Paolo grabbed Luke by the back of his collar, holding him up by the scruff of the neck, and he tossed the boy forwards where he tumbled to the floor and weakly sliced forwards on the slippery wing of the contraption they flew in. Luke grunted in pain as he landed roughly on the soaking wet wing of this thing, sliding until he gone sliding off the edge of the machine and he began to plummet.

The professor was surprised as he observed this. Luke was now falling from the sky! He quickly reacted by taking a finger off the button meant to project his voice and he grabbed the steering wheel and lowered it down so the car could swoop down along with it.

The professor narrowed his eyes tightly as he made the Layton mobile dive down in order to try and catch Luke before he fell to his death. He reached a hand out of the conveniently-opened roof of the car and managed to snag Luke out of the air as he brought him into the Layton mobile and lowered him in the passenger seat so he could lay down softly.

It was needless to say that Luke was now so limp that he was barely alive.

The professor cradled him gently as he lain the boy down in the seat but Luke seemed very unresponsive to what was happening around him but he was also now cold to the bone instead of hot to the touch. The apprentice of Professor Layton didn't like being well since he couldn't work and learn as much but now he felt like a lot of the life had been sucked out of him. He coughed weakly, his eyes wandering up to the ceiling of the car.

"Luke, can you hear me...?" The professor asked softly as he held Luke's head to support him but Luke didn't respond. He felt so horrid now and he couldn't even move his head since he was so weak and exhausted, it sucked. Luke managed the softest of aggravated growls as he slowly moved his hand to his throbbing chest, squeezing his eyes shut in pain as he spluttered out a pathetically weak cough.

He couldn't speak, he could barely move. He felt useless.

The professor felt really bad for the boy. If he had been there he wouldn't be in this situation. He should have kept a sharper eye on Luke otherwise Don Paolo probably wouldn't have kidnapped Luke like this. At least the boy was safer now, though.

Narrowing his eyes once again in determination, professor Layton gave a deep sigh as he decided to do what was best for Luke even if he did want to give that guy a piece of his mind. He floored the pedal and turned around so the Layton mobile could speed off in a different direction but the professor couldn't be certain if this would prolong Luke's recovery yet he felt that he should try in the very least.

He strapped Luke's frail form down in the seat and sped off in the opposite direction of once he came, his top hat falling just over his little black eyes to make his facial expression give off a look of both anger and urgency of the utmost vitality. He had to get home and make sure Luke would warm up a little and get him stabilised.

...And then, the professor thought with a reluctant sigh, he was going to tell Brenda and Clark.

But it was then that something caught his eye in the rear view mirror. The professor eyed it in confusion since it looked like a green orb of powerful rays that could inflict damage.

That's because it WAS a green orb of powerful rays that could inflict damage.

The professor panicked. He knew deep down that this was Don Paolo, wanting Luke back probably, and it seemed that he wasn't going to let his prey escape from him as he wanted to shoot them both down no matter what the cost. The professor's heart jumped down into his stomach at the realisation that home was probably going to take awhile longer yet.

He needed to do battle with the villain after all, there was no other way out of this. That contraption was chasing them as its form grew bigger and bigger as it gave chase behind the airborne car, frightening the gentleman driver a little as he tried to swerve himself away from danger.

"Alright then," Hershel Layton muttered to no one in particular "if you would really desire a duel then make it quick."

* * *

**A/N: The professor has Luke back but it seems that Don Paolo isn't giving up so easily. He didn't know that he was putting Luke's life in danger but he was still very mean about it since he tried to kill Luke regardless to prove a point. **

**Poor Luke and poor professor Layton. **

**Neither of them can catch a break can they?**

**Please review.**

**-Chloemcg**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton nor Rosa or Luke Triton since they both belong to Level-5 games and nobody else, in fact I own nobody of the professor layton franchise! **

**Down goes the apprentice.**

* * *

Professor Layton made the Layton mobile dive down from the sky as he made the winged car go into a landing when they reached the top of a flat roof that acted as a nice, even landing platform and he still had that cross look on his face.

He fully intended to bring his sick apprentice home as quickly as possible since he was now mostly unconscious and his breathing was so raspy that it was hard to concentrate on anything else and his temperature kept going from burning hot to ice cold.

His deteriorating health was certainly something to worry about.

When the gentleman parked his car on the roof of a small building, he looked over to his side to find Luke was still breathing heavily and with huge effort. He appeared to have been sleeping deeply now since his mouth was open and his eyes clenched under his closed eyelids, unable to weakly toss and turn in his sleep due to the seatbelt fastening him to the passenger seat.

He gave a tired groan as he shivered suddenly. Clearly his temperature was dropping again.

Giving his apprentice a somber look, the professor shrugged off his brown coat and draped it over the young whelp so he could at least have a bit of warmth and he bundled him in the makeshift blankets. Why did this have to happen to Luke? he didn't deserve this at all. If anything he deserved all the best things coming his way and the utter rubbish that poured down on him like heavy drops of rain spitting down upon a canvas.

The top hat-wearing archeologist lain an assuring hand on Luke's head whilst wiping some loose strands of his blonde-brown hair out from underneath his ill-fitted cap with his thumb.

His heart ached for the poor boy, to put it loosely.

"Don't fear, my boy," He reassured Luke gently and softly "I will get you home and well again but you need to be strong for awhile longer."

If Luke heard that he didn't show it. He simply continued to just lie there with a comatose expression as he done nothing but breathe those long raspy breaths of exhaustion that gripped on to his currently weak immune system. The young whelp gasped a single breath before he let out a strange long wheeze that sounded akin to that of a rattlesnakes shaking tail in a sweltering desert.

He shivered in his seat and bundled himself up, nuzzling deeper into the warmth of the professor's brown coat that had been wrapped around him to shape into a cocoon-like mold. He couldn't sustain his own body heat much longer, all because Don Paolo failed to do the thing that would have made Luke's chances of survival much better:

Leave him be.

After giving a weak cough, Luke very weakly managed to worm an arm out from his hand-made cocoon and he very gently grasped the professor's saggy tangerine sleeve of his long wooly jumper and he sent him a silent look of a kicked puppy, mutedly begging him not to leave him alone again while that man chased them with a relentless pursuit of revenge.

Luke coughed a few more times.

The professor felt really sympathetic to be leaving poor Luke now. Each time the boy grabbed his sleeve in such an innocent, childish way; it always made a long-lasting impression on him and basically stamped his apprentice's innocent presence in his mind and it left an ever lasting tone of affection in his heart and soul.

He tried to give Luke a reassuring smile to tell him that everything would be fine -to assist Luke in his dark hour- but he couldn't lie to him by saying that all would be fine.

He gently patted Luke's weak hand to ease his concern instead.

"Shhh..." He shushed him while his hand gingerly patted Luke's recumbent spine as he stroked his small back until Luke's small coughing fits eased off "you'll be fine, Luke, I swear it."

The young companion of the professor didn't stay awake for much longer as he gave a small yawn before he blacked out and fell unconscious one again in a blinking second. The light taps of raindrops spilling against the window filled the otherwise empty background sounds and the professor stared at his apprentice for a lingering moment longer since he was seriously fearful for Luke.

He traced a finger along the back of Luke's sweaty forehead. Despite the dampness seeping through his ghostly complexion, the icy cold body heat was very much there. It was greatly troubling to say the least.

Giving a long sigh, the professor shuffled out of the front seat and side stepped on to the flat rooftop.

He glanced up at the dark grey skies above that rumbled through the pitch blackened skies above. Those clouds hovering overhead were dark with pure rage as the barely recognizable form of that hovering contraption could barely be made out behind such a thick web of storm clouds. His footing on the roof wasn't that great but he still managed to keep his posture widened and ready to defend Luke when necessary.

The winged machine slowly floated down in front of the Layton mobile with its commandeer's face showing through a rough screen.

Don Paolo's sneer made the professor's blood curdle as a sudden protective instinct kicked into high gear and he glared back at the twisted scientist. His refined manners would have gone out the window weren't it for the voices of Claire's gentlemanly wishes whispering within his mind.

Those words poured confidence into his reluctant heart.

"Where do you think your going, Layton?" The voice of Lukes kidnapper's voice rang like an annoying choir of bells in his mind which was ear-numbingly loud as that voice scraped against his mind. Eyes were narrow readily whilst the professor dipped his top hat low beneath his innocent eyes to try and hide a menacing glare.

The professor gave a sigh to expand his lungs and calm himself. He just couldn't find it within him to forgive the scientist for putting his poor apprentice's life on the line as he protectively reached an arm towards one side in order to create a self made barrier and try a poorly attempt at shielding Luke from any attacks that maybe directed at him.

Chillingly, he gave an answer to that query.

"I am taking Luke home with me, I'm afraid." He narrowed his eyes threateningly "If you have any intent of bringing anymore harm to him than you would have to go through me."

He brought a sabre out in preparation for battle, making the enemy smirk in return.

The professor gave a small shiver of his body when a sudden gust of blustery weather picked up and made him a little bit cold. He couldn't begin to deny that the altitude from this height was not only good for people with phobias with perilous heights and therefore was supremely chilly up on the rooftop.

Slowly but certainly, Don Paolo walked out of his contraption and prepared to do battle on the wing as he too held a blade at the ready whilst it was pointed to his enemy. He wore a very self-confident, snide look on his face as his face twisted into the most insane and twitchiest of smug smirks. He rubbed the handle of his fencing sword with a thump as he looked directly into the hidden eyes of professor Hershel Layton.

The two shared a stilled stand off as they kept on the offence and defence in order to chase each other off if need be. Neither of them knew who would make the first move since whoever started this dual would determine the victor of this match.

"Are you ready to pay for what you have done, Layton?" The pre-battle taunt was asked.

The professor allowed a look of confusion to sweep against his face for a mere few moments as he tried to grasp the concept of this query. What did he do to Don Paolo to make such a somewhat bitter rivalry? It surely can't of been so bad that he would want to kill an innocent boy to go as far as his revenge here, that's for certain.

The professor growled lowly with the intent of protecting the boy at all costs. He knew that if Luke was well enough to see this then he would most definitely be cheering him on at the very least. He was going to defend Luke at all costs, even at the cost of his own life if it would bring him safety.

He nodded readily, brows narrowed and his own blade at the ready.

The gentleman said in a rough yet surprisingly suave tone of voice "Indeed, Don, are you prepared to begin battle?"

The mad scientist didn't even need to reply since he had already lunged forwards with his blade ready to fatally stab his opponent and the professor done the same as they intended to deliver some kind of blow as they now duelled on the right wing of the hovering contraption, their swords constantly clashing with metal "clangs" as they rapped against each other and sometimes worked in total harmony like another extension to each of the fighters.

Even the weather provided a dramatic atmosphere as rain poured down hard from the heavens and lightning flashed through the sky, loud enough to leave two geniuses surprised upon first hearing the sound but it also gave them a hard footing to keep on as it made for a very epic battle indeed.

The professor was ready. Luke just needed to try and stay alive a bit longer until he could get him the proper medical attention he deserves, could he do that?

* * *

**A/N: The battle begins. Sorry about the gaps between chapters, I'm just trying to leave a bit of suspense for you all. Again it seems that Don Paolo is refusing to let his prey get away so easily from him and Luke is suffering because of it.**

**You will probably see a reference to "The last spectre" in here since I just find the moment when Luke grabbed on to the professor's sleeve just so cute. It must have made a long-lasting impression at least since it was so innocently cute. **

**Please review. **

**Who do you think will win this match? **

**-Chloemcg**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton nor Rosa or Luke Triton since they both belong to Level-5 games and nobody else, in fact I own nobody of the professor layton franchise!**

**Down goes the apprentice.**

* * *

Sabres clashed as each blade was swung expertly, each one trying to block the attack of the opposing sword. The sound of metal coliding with each ear-piercing "clang" smashed through the stormy breeze and threatened what would have made such a beautiful afternoon.

The professor used one hand to grip on to his hat while he used the other to hold on to his sword. He whipped it about to try and pierce through the wind and make his sword at least touch his foe, a few times he knicked the scientist's purple coat but that was only a few swift occasions.

He adjusted his footing as he continued to battle Don Poalo, his olive green shoes thumped against the wing of the strange machine as their battlefield hovered in the storm-laden air that rumbled around them as they each fought one another. Professor Layton smacked his sword against Don Poalo's as they duelled it out and were relentless in their pursuit of each other's defeat. The professor was growing increasingly agitated, steadily and breathlessly, because the scientist was getting so slippery.

The professor growled through gritted teeth as he swiped his sword again, blocking an attack from Don's blade, and he narrowed his eyes angrily as he felt drops of rain drip down his face with the weight of a hammer.

"Don Paolo, you should surrender now and let the boy go!" He exclaimed with utmost urgency lacing his every word. His glare was penetrating right through his enemies squinty eyes as the rain numbed each of their faces as they glared at each other threateningly without a single shred of remorse for the villain he fought.

Don however tried to push the professor of archeology away from himself as both their swords touched in the most violent ways possible. Actually they etched quaked under the pressure of how much they were trying to shove each other back and distance themselves from direct harm.

The thunder rumbled in the background as more dark clouds brewed and the rain cascaded down from the heavens and dripped down heavily upon both the men of large intellect, leaving all else soaking wet as the drops hammered down.

The top hat-wearing gentleman released his sword from the hold and swiped it again but this time he managed to merely poke Don in the chest with the point of his thinned sabre. Professor Layton was undoubtedly a master swordsman since he had trained for years on the simple art of self defence via sword fighting but with just the right poking and prodding to his emotional wounds then he would prove to be a lethal sword-flinging machine wearing a stylish dark brown top hat and tangerine jumper that was somewhat saggy due to the moisture.

Don decided to cross that line as he smirked sadistically.

"Well, Layton, what do you think Claire would think if she saw you?"

The professor recoiled in shock. He knew Claire? How could he knew her, he shouldn't should he?

His heart thumped heavily. His head burned when he remembered her, Claire was his lover and his sweetheart. She was so kind and so intelligent that he would find even the simplest of puzzles enchanting, it was such a sweet trait that swam through the professors' passion and heightened it to a fine extent. He could remember everything about his lost love, including how she died in a time machine incident.

Professor Layton cringed when he saw her face fresh inside his memory. His eyes twitched and his heart ached at her memory, he could have married her...he could have been happy with her...if not for that blasted time machine!

The professor's eyes closed at the painful memories that surfaced. He gritted his teeth and let out a groan most painful as he recalled her sweet smile. He finally lifted his eyes and blinked back tears as he felt the unfamiliar tickling behind his eyes that signalled the one thing he never wanted to do:

cry.

A gentleman never cried. Not in his eyes, at least.

He stretched his sword forwards and tried to stab him, only on the spur of the moment as tears actually formed at the corners of his dark dots for eyes, but Don dived out of the way as he dodged the attack meant for him. He stared into the professor's lonesome eyes and only then did he understand why the professor carried on the way he did.

Don continued to smile twistedly as he stumbled a bit on the wing of his own creation "...Ah, I see now. You only keep this up because your covering her up, your trying to forget what happened to her and bury it in the past. Your undying trust for those close to you is the only thing that keeps you going..."

The professor growled deeply. He could see clearly what the scientist was doing, he was trying to figure out his weak points him and manipulate him to better suit his goals. He frowned and stood still while his unwavering eyes trailed his opponent's every move.

He stood proudly until he watched Don glare daggers at him.

The archeologist tipped his top hat with a stone face as he told him with the lowest voice imaginable "...It is true that the only thing keeping me going is the friends I have, but I shall never forget those close to me."

The professor closed his eyes and pictured Luke still unconscious in the car. It pained him to think that such a young boy was suffering because of this ridiculous feud, it was childish actually. He had to get Luke somewhere safe and if it meant getting him to a hospital than so be it.

Professor Layton brought his sword up and fixed his stance to match that of a starting pose to begin a sparring session of fencing and he closed his eyes to recompose himself after that little blow up. Somehow, despite the fact that the rain hitting his face was numbing, it also provided some sort of comfort to him as he felt the icy cold drops hit his rectangular face.

After a moment or two, his eyes blinked open and a flash of defiance ignited inside them.

"Engarde...if you dare." The professor challenged.

An apprehensive air took the stadium and a poisonous quiet took a tight hold. Neither men dared to make a move as they simply scowled at one another with each of their expressions hardened with complete and utter seriousness. They just both stood on opposite sides of each other with neither of them daring to utter a single word to each other as they both waited for each other to make the first move.

The only sound between them would be the pouring rain engulfing their battle field, each cold drop poured with distain slamming down on the bodies and the equipment of the machinery to make a heavy sound that echoed in each of the ears of the two men who this intense scene revolved around.

It was then that Don Paolo pounced with his sword at the ready.

The professor had anticipated this move and quickly stepped aside, the sword's blade whistling passed his ear as it just barely missed him.

Professor Layton glared sternly as they resumed their battle and sparred with such fury that it would make the coolest of hearts shatter like glass. However that fury was all directed towards one of the two combatants, or more specifically Don.

The professor knew how to make Don fall in this battle. It was all about revenge it seemed, but if he managed to use that anger against the owner of it then he should make his opponent lose sight of everything whence that fuming fury had consumed him, enveloping his mind and his common sense.

They battled for what seemed like a decade until Don was finally cracking as he swung his sword everywhere yet the professor simply evaded each and every strike with such simplicity that he had even ceased using his sword and started dodging the attacks meant for him.

He could sense his enemy's tiring will to fight and it was what should end this childish battle so he could get back to Luke.

If manipulation was his only tool then shall be it!

Don panted tiredly as he finally stopped swishing his sword in a full-on tantrum and he collapsed to his knees with his head down as he became totally soaked in the hammering downpour. He was just about ready to collapse from exhaustion now, it appeared. His breathing was rasped and heavy as he used his arms as his only means to stay conscious and as his supports.

If he flicked them with a finger, the professor deduced he would be able to make his enemy's arms topple easily and therefore the moustached man would most likely fall unconscious with that simple move of the hand.

The professor lowered his sword, finally shuddering a little from the cold of the rain hitting him, and he approached the exhausted man's weakened form and stood over him whilst observing him with utmost fascination. He studied Don's exhaustion with an emotionless face and decided to do the humane thing here:

Carry him out of the rain.

However the professor wasn't going to overextend his kindness, yet he knew better than to leave anyone out in the rain...even if they tried to kill off his sick young ward.

Tired himself, the dark hatted professor grabbed the barely conscious Don Paolo by the shoulders and dragged him into the open cargo of his own machine and placed the man inside and laying him down in the front seat.

The professor could hear Don Paolo's scratchy voice ask him something yet he was too occupied with trying to find the correct button that would lower the machine down to earth. He couldn't really hear much else other than his own heartbeat that pounded in his own head for some reason or rather.

He knelt down to press a big red button that glowed.

"Why...?" Don asked while panting.

The professor knew what his enemy was asking. It was simple to understand, honestly, as he didn't even look at him.

"I couldn't just leave you out there, rival or not, it is not the way of a gentleman to leave anyone out in the rain to perish."

He spoke with a sincere kindness yet it was accompanied by some sort of anger. He couldn't also tell the man that it would go against everything he knew if he did leave him out there to die.

The professor exhaled while he pressed the button and the round windshield closed over Don while he himself managed to leap out before he could be trapped inside the machine yet he still wore a pretty emotionless facial expression as he dipped his top hat low over his eyes and wandered over the edge of the wing and climbed down a rope ladder that hung from the bottom of the machine.

He very soon found himself right beside the Layton Mobile yet when he hurriedly climbed inside, he was horrified to find that his apprentice was motionless and ice cold.

The professor gasped as he reached over to his limp apprentice with a horrified expression and he grabbed Luke's shoulder gently with his knuckles pale. He felt his heart drumming inside his head once more as shock took over and a sharp shot of adrenaline darted through his veins like a flash of lightning.

His entire world froze at the drop of a hat as he touched Luke's lifeless body that had been bundled in his coat.

"...Luke?"

* * *

**A/N: Ohhhh...what's wrong with Luke? **

**What a battle between the professor and Don, it seemed that this got a bit personal at one point but lets see what happens next. I'm almost done with this story, though, guys so hopefully you won't have to wait much longer for more and more updates. I want you all to think back to your favorite bit of the story and let me know if thats possible in review but I would also like you guys to let me know what you think will happen.**

**Will Luke be alright? **

**Find out in the next chapter!**

**Btw, feel free to read my other Professor Layton fanfics. **

**-Chloemcg**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton nor Rosa or Luke Triton since they both belong to Level-5 games and nobody else, in fact I own nobody of the professor layton franchise!**

**Down goes the apprentice.**

* * *

Luke groaned as he stirred from the dark depths from his heavy slumber.

He felt a faint warmth embrace him as he slowly came to and he realised that he could breathe much easier than he had been for the past while. That and he felt a lot more energised than before so he could do way much more than just lay there flat and lifeless to the rest of the world.

Then he remembered the kidnapping, the illness that had sucked him into this horrible sleep and everything else that had occurred for these passed few days or so. What had happened to the professor!? Was he okay!?

He opened his eyes and discovered that not only was he back in bed but he also was dimly aware of the faint beeping of a heart monitor that didn't really sound in his ears until just now and he looked around so he could get a good grasp of the situation at hand. He noticed that he was no longer in the house nor in the Layton mobile, but he was in a room that had less colour in it than an unpainted rainbow.

The walls were so bland and boring that Luke wished that they would change colour so he could awake to nicer environment.

He also found a neat stack of gift-wrapped boxes at his feet and his tired childish eyes lit up like light bulbs upon seeing them. He loved presents, which child didn't? Or which _person _didn't, more like?

But then his eyes wandered to his right and he turned his head but he was beyond surprised to discover that the professor was sitting beside him with his head down as he snored louder than a dragon puffing smoke. The professor slept while sitting up in a seat yet his tired rectangular face was darkened against the bright light of the cubicle of what Luke assumed was the hospital.

It wasn't that hard the figure out. The heart monitor could only belong to a hospital and the fact that the walls and ceilings were more bland than watery cornflakes with the absence of flavour was another dead give away.

Luke reached towards the professor, minding the tubes running between him and another machine that was clearly meant to pump medicine into his body and he lightly grabbed the gentleman's shoulder before giving it a gentle and weak set of curious pats that abruptly aroused professor Layton from his deep sleep and within moments, Luke's eyes meeting those dark orbs of his mentor's.

The professor smiled in relief as he assured gently "I'm here, my boy."

The professor slowly enveloped his apprentice in for a huge embrace that was so hard it made the poor boy splutter and gag from how tight the hold was. Luke grabbed and tried to make the professor release him but it was easier said then done.

The professor eventually released Luke when he realised that he was inadvertently suffocating his apprentice and allowed the young boy to sit back in order to lay in bed recumbent and to try and recover from the sudden tight squeeze he had just received.

Luke reached slowly to his bedside table so he could retrieve his cap but found he could not reach it. He was still too tired for doing much at the moment, having just woke up.

Luckily the professor understood, lent his young ward a helping hand and grabbed Luke's hat for him before plopping it on top of the boy's head where it dropped heavily much like a dewdrop dropping into a river and rippling against the gentle surface of crystal clear water. The two gentleman shared a quite long silence that lasted for a limited time before the young man recovering asked quietly, his voice surprisingly faint "...What happened to me, professor?".

Luke lain his head down on his pillow as he grown tired again, his youthful eyes heavy from exhaustion as they lidded over halfway.

The professor sighed and cuffed his hands together as he tried to contemplate on exactly what to tell the boy. Honestly it came as no surprise that his apprentice couldn't recall a thing from the experience from before, he had been only half awake throughout most of it after all so of course his recollection of the experience would be mostly half-baked and such.

The gentleman of archeology laid his hand down on Luke's smaller one and he forced a smile to his lips as he tried to be as gentle as possible as his charge had been through quite the scare...as he had.

"Luke, my boy," He spoke softly through a strained voice "you had a bad case of Pneumonia and you had been forced into a temporary coma until your lungs got better." He swallowed, licking his lips as he tried not to cry then and there from how horrid the past few days had haunted him.

Luke seemed very confused.

The professor seemed upset and relieved at the same time. He didn't know what pneumonia was but it didn't sound good, and he could detect a subtle emotion in his mentor's voice as he noticed a few spirals of said emotion swirling and manifesting themselves into those black eyes he would usually look into when he sought out any sort of common knowledge, especially on puzzles and mysteries he could not really solve.

He tilted his head to one side with his face twisted in mere confusion as he frowned.

"...What's pneumonia, professor?" He asked faintly as he heaved a sigh of exhaustion.

The professor sighed. He should have known that this question would come up, what could he tell the boy what the illness is without making him worry? He took some deep breaths to try and ease himself into telling Luke this even though it was tricky telling someone that they could have died because of said ailment.

He hung his head low and closed his eyes before opening them again as he explained "Well, m-my boy...pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs and it affects these little air sacks in the lungs called "alveoli" and...and..." he choked on his own saliva and gave a big cough before he found himself trembling out of pure fear of what could have happened to the poor boy.

He wanted to just curl up in shame of what had happened to his apprentice. He may not have openly acknowledged Luke as his apprentice and at first he didn't correct Luke just because he didn't want to upset the boy with anything insensitive or anything but professor Layton eventually felt comfortable with the boy calling himself his apprentice and he actually mentally labelled him as "best student" in his own mind.

The professor held an arm out to pull Luke in for a hug to which a very puzzled Luke had decided to concede with for the sake of his top hat-wearing mentor as he felt himself suddenly rubbing his tears stained face against the professor's tangerine shirt. He didn't know why he was crying but he could sense a heavy amount of relief in the sobs the professor actually choked out as he wrapped his hands warmly around his apprentice.

However Luke pulled his face away from the professor's shirt and looked up at his rectangular yet tear stained face with a small smile.

Luke sat on the professor's lap for a moment until he reached upwards, wobbling unsteadily as he stood up on his knees, and he wiped a few stray tears from the professor's cheek as he gave a kind smile that assured the gentleman that everything would be fine. The two exchanged smiles for a minute until Luke gave an understanding nod and he gave the bravest look he could as he adjusted his cap so it would even be brimming with confidence.

"Don't worry about me professor" Luke smiled weakly as damp sweat beads trickled down his face "...I'll be f-fine and when I'm out of here, I will work harder than ever. I-I guarantee it."

The professor chuckled through his tears. He knew he shouldn't be crying, not in front of Luke, but he was just relieved. He never would have admitted it but he saw himself as sort of a father figure towards the boy and he trusted him with everything and anything.

This brave little child would make a splendid gentleman one day, he never doubted that for a single solitary second.

Professor Hershel Layton tipped his top hat to the boy who was clearly much better but he had to make sure since he could see that Luke was still a little bit sick but he was clearly much more ready to take on the world than before. He cradled Luke on his lap and held him as he slowly lain him back in the hospital bassinet but was very careful of his wires, tubes and such as he put him back into bed -tucking him in dotingly- and patted his hand gingerly.

"How do you feel, my boy?" He asked, hoping to change the subject.

Luke gave a lazy shrug as he sighed tiredly and he admitted "...I'm tired."

The professor gave a shake of the head. It wasn't surprising to hear that from his stubborn young charge, not at all. He was happy that Luke now had regained enough energy to speak at least and move a bit more while in bed as he was still recovering from that major scare his young body had days beforehand.

He said with his voice sincere "I'm not surprised. You had been through a lot after all."

"Did I nearly die, professor?"

This question was actually sudden. The professor would have had a heart attack had it not been for the calming atmosphere that brewed around them both. He simply gave a surprised gasp and he stared directly into Luke's bright blue eyes that matched his cap in every way. He gave a simple bow of the head as he grasped the child's hand inside his as if it were his lifeline and he replied hesitantly.

"Indeed, you hang on by a thread but..." He smiled down at the young sick boy in the bed and stroked his head, toying with his hair "even when you are ill, nothing can stop the greatest puzzle-solving duo ever of Professor Hershel Layton and his trusted apprentice: Luke Triton!"

He spoke through a playful growl as he uncharacteristically gave Luke the gentlest noogie ever yet the boy appeared to have been enjoying this boisterous yet simple play session between a boy and his mentor. Luke weakly laughed and tried to escape the arm lock the professor had sandwiched him inside but managed to slowly wiggle away as the professor had released him just because he didn't want to tire Luke out any further.

Luke gently threaded his arms around Professor Layton's much bigger one. He smiled warmly and nuzzled the brown sleeved arm, much to the professor's shock, as he began to close his eyes to sleep once more with a soft smile on his lips and he rubbed his chubby cheek affectionately against the gentle velvet sleeve that tickled his flushed cheek.

"...Thank you for caring for me, Professor Layton."

The professor smiled softly in return and didn't dare make an attempt to remove his apprentice.

Admittedly this hug was a little cliché and made him feel an ounce of discomfort but there was no way he had the heart to shove him aside. It was also enough to warm his weakened heart somehow. He slowly slipped Luke's hat off his small head, exposing a headful of unkept platinum blonde hair and he ran a slick palm through the spiky hair of the young man and he felt his fingertips run along his scalp as he stroked him softly to lull him to sleep.

Professor Layton gave a small exhale as he smiled softly down at the boy and he watched Luke fall asleep for the umpteenth time.

But this time he was fine with the knowledge that his apprentice would be fine. Yes, the boy's parents were furious and were currently on a flight back home, but at least they knew he would be fine now too. Luke was going to be fine now and he was going to always be fine and pull through thick and thin since he had something better than all the riches any child would most likely get bored with after awhile:

A family who loved him, and that included the professor.

"...You are very welcome, Luke."

* * *

**A/N: That's the end of Down goes the apprentice!**

**Yay, Luke's fine now! He's still a bit sick but at least he will be alright now. Hmmm I don't know when this would be but if I had to make a guess I suppose it would be just before "The curious village" and I hope you all review this and my other stories.**

**I would see Luke and the professor as a father/son pair. I do NOT ship them since that is just wrong, in my opinion.**

**I like seeing a nice moment between the professor and his apprentice although I think its sad when they said goodbye to each other in "Lost future" and I think the professor is somewhat a hypocrite since he tells Luke a gentleman never cries in public when HE cried in public...and I'm sure I saw tears in the corners of the professor's eyes after he said that.**

**Not judging him by it, though, it was sad to see Luke go.**

**Anyways I hope you enjoyed this and I shall write more fanfic's for you guys!**

**Thanks!**

**-Chloemcg**


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